This invention relates to an image information-filing apparatus which causes image information, for example, documents, to be stored in a memory medium and later reproduced therefrom, and more particularly, to an image information-filing apparatus wherein a main memory medium is formed of, for example, the so-called optical disc. Image information is stored in said memory medium, and information for finding each stored image information is stored in the same memory medium or any other memory medium, for example, a magnetic disc. The stored image information is searched out by reference to said search information.
Recently, an image information-filing apparatus has been put to practical use which stores image information consisting of large amounts of documents and impressions with a relatively high density and ensures the quick search and read-out of stored image information.
A description may now be made of a typical example of the above-mentioned image information-filing apparatus. With this apparatus, visible impressions such as documents are optically read by two-dimensional scanning. Pieces of image information thus obtained are stored in a memory medium capable of storing data with a relatively high density such as an optical disc. Image information is regularly registered when search information for the respective pieces of stored image information is stored in another memory medium, for example, a magnetic disc like a floppy disc. When an attempt is made to reproduce the image information stored in the above-mentioned memory medium, the operator externally supplies an input corresponding to a search information for the respective pieces of image information stored in, for example, the magnetic disc. Thus, the desired image information stored in the optical disc is visibly read out by means of an image output device. The image output device is generally provided by, for example, a CRT display device or a print device for converting an image into a hard copy.
With the above-mentioned image information filing apparatus, it often happens that the point of time at which image information was registered or the point of time at which image information was reproduced bears great importance to the registered or reproduced image information. In this case, a data or time previously attached to image information to be registered or reproduced can be effectively and advantageously utilized as reference or distinction data with respect to the related image information.
However, the conventional image information-filing apparatus presented great operational complexities in attaching a date to the image information. For instance, when image information is supplied in the form of a sheet of paper, the operator has to record a date on the paper sheet. When image information is supplied in the form of an optical image by applying, for example, a television camera and projector, it is necessary to previously provide, for example, a card bearing letter denoting a date, and place the card within the viewing field of the camera and projector. When therefore, a date had to be attached to image information, the conventional image information-filing apparatus was accompanied with considerable inconvenience due to the operational complexities experienced by the operator.